Consumer Data and Nutrition Research

To provide economic and other social science information and analysis for public and private decisions on agriculture, food, natural resources, and rural America. ERS produces such information for use by the general public and to help the executive a

ERS conducts research on the economic forces influencing consumer food choices and the effect of these choices on nutrition and health outcomes. To understand these relationships, ERS examines the interactions between factors such as food prices, grocery store accessibility, food labeling, household income, and household composition. Market and industry level factors examined include product offerings by firms, changes in store types and store formats, firm and consumer reactions to food safety incidences, and the role of government programs and the food system as a whole in the macro-economy. ERS analyzes USDA's food and nutrition assistance programs, often coordinating research priorities with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. These programs receive substantial Federal funding and affect the daily lives of millions of America's children. Long-term research themes include food security outcomes, dietary and nutritional outcomes, food program targeting and delivery, and measurement of program participation. ERS food safety research focuses on enhancing methodologies for valuing societal benefits associated with reducing food safety risks, understanding consumer and producer responses to food safety incidents, assessing industry incentives to enhance food safety through new technologies and supply chain linkages, and evaluating regulatory options and change. ERS research also investigates the safety of food imports and the efficacy of international food safety policies and practices.

Any institution of higher education or non-profit institutions.

Any individual or organization in the U.S. and U.S. Territories is eligible to receive the popular or technical research publications that convey the research results, although there may be a fee.

ERS performs economic research and analyses related to U.S. and world agriculture that address a multitude of economic concerns and decision making needs of Federal, State, and local governments, farmers, farm organizations, farm suppliers, marketers, processors, and consumers. There are no restrictions on the use of ERS produced information. The objective of the consumer data program is to enhance existing public and private data collection systems and availability to answer the most important policy questions. This objective is achieved by: (1) supplementing existing government surveys with separate modules when possible, (2) integrating and linking data from disparate surveys, (3) investing in proprietary data, and (4) enhancing existing surveys.

Awards are made subject to annual appropriations.

Requests for technical information may be made to the Chief, Publishing and Communications Branch, Economic Research Service (ERS), 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20520-1800.

Agreements are issued noncompetitively at the discretion of USDA.

No renewals, only extensions. Extensions are subject to to 5-year statutory limit on the period of performance.